Report

Full stream ahead

This report from UK think tank Reform proposes a new model for the Fast Stream, founded on more rigorous entrance exams and a new ‘Executive Leadership Scheme‘.

The Fast Stream was set up to recruit the brightest and best for public service. And as government grapples with era-defining challenges, including how to build a resilient state and restore economic growth, it will need a new generation of leaders.

Yet, with an annual intake of over 1,000 a year, and 17 different sub-schemes, the Fast Stream has lost this clear purpose. It is no longer the elite route into leadership roles it once was.

‘Full stream ahead’ proposes a new model: founded on more rigorous entrance exams and a new “Executive Leadership Scheme’, with a separate, more competitive pay offer, specifically focused on cultivating multidisciplinary talent.

It also sets out a new approach to Fast Stream training and development, codified through a knowledge and skills-based curriculum that would set a new benchmark for civil service expertise. In doing so, it aims to bolster the Fast Stream’s brand, fulfilling the ambition of the Declaration on Government Reform for it to be “among the best graduate programmes in the world”.